This article concerns the labeling guideline for health benefits of livestock products. In recent years, livestock products with health benefits have emerged as a key market for livestock product industries. However, the current labeling regulation for functional foods severely prohibits livestock product industries from attaching most of the health benefits claims to the products. Also, manufacturers have some difficulties in labeling the health benefits of certain livestock products because of a lack of guidelines on health benefit claims for livestock products. Therefore, some livestock product industries and scientists have strongly demanded a revision of labeling regulation, Appended Chart No. 14 provided by Article 52 (2) of Enforcement Regulation of the Processing of Livestock Products Act, so they could mark the health benefits on their products. To support the `revision of labeling regulation`, the goals of this article were as follows; 1) to assess the current situation on nutrition labeling and nutrition claims on foods, 2) to determine the current situation on health claim regulatory systems used in foreign countries (CODEX, USA, Japan, EU, and Australia/New Zealand), 3) to assess the current situation on the health claim or health benefit claim regulations for functional foods, conventional foods, and livestock products in Korea, and 4) to determine the need for complement in health benefit claim for livestock products. In conclusion, guidelines for the use of health benefit claims on livestock products should be prepared as soon as possible and the guidelines should be viable and easy for manufacturers and control authorities to understand. Also, nutrient profiles should be developed to identify whether the livestock products are eligible to bear health benefit claims and to help consumers make the right choices.

CODEX (2004) Guidelines for Use of Nutrition and Health Claims, CODEX CAC/GL 23-1997 (Rev. 1-2004). Rome, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations / World Health Organization

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EC (2006) Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 on Nutrition and Health Claims Made on Foods. Official Journal of the European Union. L404, 9-25

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FDA (2003) Interim Procedures for Qualified Health Claims in the Labeling of Conventional Human Food and Human Dietary Supplements, Guidance for Industry and FDA, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition